Apron Strings
by Skarlettgirl
Summary: Adam returns from a business trip to find that one of his children was causing chaos while he was away. Story #6 in the Two for the Road series. Warning: implied CP of minor.
1. Chapter 1

* Many thanks to all of those who take the time to read and leave a review. It is greatly appreciated! I hope you all enjoy the new installment. Cheers!

Adam stepped out of the stagecoach and onto the sidewalk in Virginia City. Brushing the dust from his clothing, he reached up and took his bags from the driver.

"Thanks Frank," he told the man as he set his bags down on the platform. "You heading back out again soon?"

"In about an hour," replied Frank as he jumped down from the driver's seat. "Just enough time for a bite and a beer then it's back on the road."

"Have a safe ride."

"Thanks Adam; say _hey_ to your family for me."

"Will do," smiled Adam.

Picking up his luggage, Adam crossed the street in the direction of the livery stable. With his family being in town as often as they were, there was bound to be one of the Ponderosa's horses taking up residence. If there was, it meant he didn't have to hire a ride to get home. Normally Evelyn or one of his older children would have met the stage with the buckboard, but seeing as he was back a day early, there wasn't time to make arrangements.

"Adam! Hey, Adam!" a voice called, stopping him in the street. Adam turned to see his brothers Hoss and Joe coming towards him.

"Evelyn said you weren't back until tomorrow," Joe said when they reached their older brother.

"Anything go wrong at the lawyer's office?" Hoss asked.

"No, everything is in order with the lumber contract. We just finished up earlier than expected so I caught an early train. I wanted to get home as soon as I could; haven't seen Evvy and the kids in almost three weeks. Hopefully all has gone well in my absence."

Hoss and Joe gave each other an amusing look.

"Am I missing something?" Adam enquired.

"Let's just say that Evelyn has had her hands full with a certain youngster of yours," smirked Hoss.

"Well I have a one in seven chance of getting it right, so I'm going to take a wild guess and say Miss Margaret Jane," Adam said sarcastically.

"She's actually been quite helpful and well-behaved," Joe assured him. "It's Luke who's been causin' the problems lately."

"Yep, he'd be my second guess," Adam said, shaking his head. "So what did he do, or rather, get away with?"

"Come on big brother, I'll buy you a beer and fill you in," Joe offered.

"You buy me a beer? Boy, this must be serious," he joked.

"Ya better take him up on his offer, Adam, it don't happen every day," laughed Hoss.

"You got that right," Adam told Hoss.

"Are ya coming for a beer or not?" Joe asked with irritation in his voice.

"Lead the way, brother," Adam conceded, giving Joe a slap on the back, "I have a feeling I'm going to need a drink."

"Ma! Ma! Pa's home!" Jake shouted, seeing the wagon drive into the front yard.

Adam jumped down from the buckboard's seat just in time to be bombarded with hugs and kisses from his brood of seven.

"That's some welcome there, Adam," Hoss chuckled.

"I know, you'd actually believe they missed me," smiled Adam.

"Of course we missed you, Pa," assured Mary as she hugged Adam's waist tightly.

"Did ya bring us anything from Saffrisco, Pa?" Jake asked, tugging on one of Adam's pant legs.

"That's what I was waiting for," laughed Adam.

"It's called San Francisco, Jake, not Saffrisco," Benny corrected his little brother.

"Says the kid who gets all the big words wrong when he says them," Luke countered.

Benny waited until their father's back was turned before mouthing _shut up_ and punching his twin in the arm.

"I did indeed bring something back for you lot," Adam told Jake as he took his bags out of the back of the buckboard.

"Does that include me," a voice said behind him. Adam turned to see Evelyn walking towards the wagon.

"Of course it does," he replied, dropping his bags. Adam wrapped his arms around his wife and delivered a long, soft kiss to her lips.

"We weren't expecting you until tomorrow. Why didn't you send word? I would have come to pick you up," Evelyn asked when they broke their embrace.

"I know you would have Evvy, but there wasn't time. We finished business early, so I decided to take the earlier train. Met up with Hoss and Joe in town, so all worked out."

"Thank you for giving him a ride, Hoss," Evelyn said turning towards her brother-in-law. "Can you stay for dinner?"

"Would love to, but Charlotte is waiting for these supplies," he answered, pointing to the back of the buckboard.

"She's making chicken and dumplings, isn't she?" she asked suspiciously.

Hoss burst out laughing. "Yes ma'am, she sure is."

"One of these days, Eric Cartwright, I'll make something you'll absolutely love! You mark my words! After all, I haven't killed your brother with my cooking."

"Yet," quipped Adam then grunted loudly from the hard jab to his ribs delivered by an insulted wife. Everyone started laughing at the sight of Adam doubling over, including Adam.

"Well, I'll see y'all later," Hoss chuckled as he clicked the team into motion.

"See ya, Hoss, and thanks again!" Adam called then picked up his bags and placed one arm around Evelyn's shoulders. "So, if you'd like to help me unpack I can tell you all about San Francisco," he suggested rather slyly.

"I'd love to," she smiled as the pair started to walk towards the house. Before they entered, Evelyn turned and reminded the children of the chores which needed to be completed before supper.

Luke waited a couple of minutes after the front door was closed then turned to Benny. "You wanna a game of checkers?"

"Sure, why not?" he shrugged.

A worried expression appeared on Jake and Maisy's faces.

"Ya better not," said Jake.

"Yeah, Luke, Pa'll be pretty heated if he catches you an' Benny playing checkers instead of doing your chores," Maisy agreed.

"We got time for a couple of games. It takes Ma and Pa at least a half hour to unpack," Luke explained.

"A half hour?" blurted Maisy. "You're plum crazy, Luke! Why would it take them that long to unpack two bags?"

"Don't know why, just does is all and they get real mad if anyone bothers them."

"You're joshin'," Maisy said disbelievingly.

"No, Maisy, it's true," Lizzie chimed in. "Whenever Pa comes home after a trip it always takes 'em a long time to unpack."

"Yeah, and the longer the trip the longer they take," Benny added. "Pa was gone for a while for this trip, so I figure we have about 40 minutes until we need to get back to our chores."

"Lizzie, will you braid my hair with that new twist ya learned?" Mary asked her sister.

"Sure, Mary. Maisy, do you want me to do your hair too?"

"Might as well, seeing that we got forty minutes," she shrugged. "I ain't in no hurry to clean the coop. I'll go grab my brush from the living room."

As Benny and Luke ran to the porch and started to set up the checker board while the girls followed Maisy into the house to hunt for a brush and ribbons. Morgan and Jake, however, remained in the front yard.

"So do I need to keep stackin' the kindling, Morgan?" the six year old asked his older brother.

"You can if ya want to, but I'm gonna go watch Luke and Benny's game."

"But Morgan, we'll get in trouble if'n we don't do our chores."

"We'll do 'em Jakey, just not yet," replied the eight year old boy.

"I don't get it," Jake said with a confused look on his face.

Morgan disregarded Jake's comment. "I'm gonna watch the game, you comin'?"

"But Morgan, what if..."

"Quit bein' such a pain, Jacob!" snapped Morgan. "If they ain't doin' their chores yet, why should we? Ya comin' to watch or not?" he asked but didn't wait for Jake to respond before heading towards the porch.

"Yeah, I'm comin', ya stupid-head grumpy pants," Jake grumbled then joined the rest of the chore shirkers on the porch.


	2. Chapter 2

Evelyn sat at her vanity pinning up her long auburn hair when she caught sight of her husband's reflection in the mirror. "Will you quit grinning like some Cheshire cat," she blushed.

"Why should I?" he questioned as he buttoned his shirt. "There's no shame if a man wants to 'unpack' with his wife, is there?"

"No, of course not," agreed Evelyn as she turned to face him. "I just think with the children downstairs we need to show some discretion. Make it appear as though we've been having a serious discussion not...well you know."

Adam burst out laughing. "Now I know where Benny gets it from."

"Gets what from?" she asked with a puzzled look.

"His worrying ways," he chuckled.

"Very funny," she said dryly.

"Sorry," Adam apologized, stifling his amusement, "you want a serious discussion, we'll have a serious discussion."

"Good, I'm glad you are in agreement; so what would you like to discuss?"

"Seeing as you are so concerned with the children, let's start with them. How did everything go here while I was away?"

"Just fine," Evelyn answered nonchalantly.

"Really?"

"Yes really; why so suspicious?"

"I happen to have it under good authority that one of our children's behaviour was rather problematic."

"And what authority would that be?"

"Hoss and Joe told me what went on with Lucas when I was in town."

"I had no idea two grown men could be such tattle-tales," she grumbled.

"They only knew what their kids told them, so how about you telling me what really happened?"

"It was nothing I couldn't handle," she assured him.

"Evelyn..." he began on the brink of losing his patience.

"Adam, it's done and forgotten. There is no need to drag things out."

"Evelyn, if any of my children are misbehaving I have a right to know; now tell me what happened," he demanded in a low, gruff voice.

Realising she could no longer skirt the issue, Evelyn slowly rose from the vanity's stool, walked over to the bed and sat down. After a small sigh of defeat, she began relaying the many incidents involving Lucas over the past weeks. Choosing to leave out the little daily things she had to deal with (such as all the back talking and harmless pranks); Evelyn went on to explain Lucas' first faux pas, the sugar bowl.

Thanks to a spat he had with Maisy, Luke decided to seek revenge with help of the family sugar bowl by replacing its contents with salt. Knowing his sister loved sugar on her morning oatmeal, he was sure to surprise the unsuspecting Maisy when she took her first mouthful. His plan, however, failed when Maisy came down late to the table but just in time to see the rest of her family spit out their breakfast.

The second incident worthy of mention was an hour long joyride. After specifically being told to finish chopping and stacking wood, Luke chose instead to take Digger out for a leisurely ride. When the boy returned home to a furious Evelyn two hours later, he just smiled and claimed the horse needed the exercise.

The last tale of mischief Adam was informed of was a case of truancy. While on the way to school last week, Luke made the choice to leave his sibling in the wagon and take off to do some fishing for the day. It was Mary, as usual, who notified the teacher and Evelyn of her brother's extracurricular activity.

"On the up side, he did bring home some pretty tasty trout," Evelyn said cheerfully, concluding her account.

"And what were the consequences to these...what did you call them? Acts of mischief?" Adam enquired with much less cheer than his wife.

"Well," she began, "for the sugar bowl, I gave him a good scolding. For the joyride, he was forbidden to ride Digger for two days and..."

"Two whole days! How cruel can a mother be?!" he interrupted sarcastically.

Evelyn ignored Adam's comment, but continued with a scowl. "And for the truancy, along with some extra chores, I have arranged it with Miss Miller to send home notes daily to prove Lucas' attendance at school."

"That must have shown him who was boss! I'm surprised he was in such a good mood after being punished so severely," he stated without relinquishing his sarcastic manner.

"Really, Adam, is that tone necessary?"

"It is when speaking of this ridiculous situation. Evelyn, Lucas' behaviour needs to be dealt with properly."

"Properly?"

"Yes, properly; a firm hand with actual consequences that would deter him from acting the way he has been, not this wishy-washy approach you have."

"He's just a little boy, Adam," she reminded him.

"He's not a little boy, Evelyn," he firmly informed her. "He's a twelve year old boy who is manipulating his mother. A twelve year old boy who would have never done what he did if his father were home."

"Is that so?!" she snapped.

"Yes, it is so. He knows he can get away with murder when I'm gone; all the children do," he said smugly.

"Adam Cartwright, that is simply not true!"

"I'm sorry my dear, but it is true. Face it, Evvy; you need to cut those apron strings, especially with Luke."

"Why can't you just let things be?" she questioned. "Problems arose, I dealt with them and all is forgiven. Isn't that how your father handled things?"

Adam chuckled slightly. "He did, however there is no way Ben Cartwright would have been so passive. If my brothers or I had ever pulled the stunts Luke did our backsides would be blistered by this point."

"Adam, please!" she implored.

Adam walked over to his wife and sat next to her on the bed. After a minute or two of contemplation, he let out an irritated sigh then turned his head towards Evelyn. "Fine, I'll let it go this time for your sake, not his. But the next time that boy steps even a toe out of line he is mine to deal with, understand?" he asserted.

"Absolutely, the very next time; thank you Hon," Evelyn said sweetly before leaning in and kissing him.

A smile crept onto Adam's face as he stood and sauntered over to the door. "Come on, let's go sneak a snack before dinner," he suggested cheekily. "I seem to have built up a rather fierce appetite for some reason."

"Adam Cartwright, you are terrible!" she blushed.

Giving his wife a wink, Adam took her hand and the couple descended the stairs into the great room.


	3. Chapter 3

"I must say, Evvy, your biscuits keep getting better and better. I barely had to scrape off burnt sections," Adam said popping the rest of a biscuit into his mouth.

"Is that why you just inhaled four of them?" Evelyn asked after giving her husband a punch to the arm.

"Like I said before, I worked up quite the appetite," he laughed.

Evelyn just shook her head and walked out of the kitchen with Adam chuckling as he followed. When they entered the great room, Evelyn noticed the slightly ajar front door.

"Did we leave the door open when we came inside?" questioned Evelyn.

"No, it was probably one of the children," he answered.

"Adam, what if..." she began fearfully.

"Evvy, will you relax," Adam said rolling his eyes and cutting her off. He strolled over to the front door and was about to close it when he paused and motioned for Evelyn to join him.

Evelyn quietly approached her husband. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Take a listen," Adam whispered back with a sanctimonious grin.

"...but s'pose Ma tells Pa about you playing hooky?" Mary cautioned.

"Yeah, Luke, you'll be in trouble for sure," Morgan added.

"She won't tell," Luke replied smugly. "She likes to think she can handle things on her own. 'Sides, she already punished me."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Some extra chores and not riding Digger for a couple days is hardly a punishment," she scoffed.

"Exactly! Why do ya think I skipped school when Pa was away? Geez, Lizzie, for a smart girl you sure can be dumb sometimes." Luke leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head and his feet up on the porch's table. Yes, sir he was feeling pretty proud of himself. That is until he caught Maisy looking at him.

"I'd be careful what you say, Luke," Maisy told him with wide eyes and a daunting expression.

Seeing his sister's reaction, Luke clued in to what she was trying to tell him. "They're standing right behind me, aren't they?" he asked as the colour quickly drained from his face and he straightened up in his chair.

Maisy nodded her head yes and Luke slowly turned to find his parents, with arms crossed, glowering down at him. "Hey Ma, hey Pa," he uttered sheepishly.

All of the children sat frozen in their spots waiting for Adam or Evelyn to say something.

"Well, Evvy, does this count as 'next time'?" Adam enquired, keeping his eyes fixed on Luke.

"Absolutely," she answered. "Consider the strings officially cut."

"Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned?" quipped Adam.

"Something to that effect," she acknowledged dryly.

A slim smile began to form at the corners of Adam mouth then rapidly disappeared as he glared at his wayward son and yelled "BARN...NOW!"

Luke flew off his chair and bolted towards the barn. When the boy was inside, Adam left the porch and headed in the same direction. After a few paces, he stopped and turned to his wife. "Come on say it; say I was right," he said with a self-satisfied grin.

"Never," she smiled. Adam just laughed and continued to make his way to the barn.

"Don't you all have chores that need doing?" she demanded of the other children who remained on the porch.

"Yes ma'am," they replied in unison then scattered away to finish their assigned tasks.

Evelyn sighed, shook her head then walked into the house, closing the door behind her.

"I still don't get it," Jake told Morgan as they resumed their wood-stacking duties.

"Yer not gonna start that again, are ya?" groaned Morgan.

"But, Morg, I just..."

"Keep stacking, Jacob," Morgan ordered, cutting him off, "just keep stacking."


End file.
